CAPONATA
The name Caponata immediately recalls Sicily, its colors and its tastes. However, it has become a popular dish all over Italy. This is a rich recipe, with savory ingredients and a very good way to emphasize the flavor of the fresh season vegetables that are so abundant in our country.
INGREDIENTS
800 gr. eggplants
5 tomatoes (blenched, peeled, seeded and chopped)
500 gr. sticks of celery
2 onions
½ glass wine vinegar
200 gr. pitted black olives
100 gr. rinsed salted capers
40 gr. sugar
2 tbsp. pine nuts
Fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Wash the eggplants and dice them. Put them in a colander, sprinkle with salt and put a weight on. After 1 hour, rinse away the salt and dry the pieces. Slice the celery and boil in salted water for a few minutes. Then drain and dry with paper and sauté in olive oil over low heat.
In a different pan, sauté the sliced onions in olive oil and when softened add the capers, pine nuts and pitted olives. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the diced tomatoes and cook for 20 more minutes over vivacious heat.
Fry the eggplants in olive oil and, when they’re golden, add the celery, the tomato sauce and stir well over low heat. Sprinkle with sugar and vinegar and let simmer. Let cool down and then serve the caponata with fresh basil.
